Hasta La Gadget!

Touchscreens are selfish lovers, taking your gentle caresses and impatient taps without offering a hint of feedback to you. We’ve seen attempts to change that, like prototypes from Toshiba and Senseg that add a bit of texture to a touchable surface, but now Microsoft might be looking to bring such dynamic tactility to the one of the biggest touchable surfaces: Surface. A recent patent application entitled “Light-induced Shape-memory Polymer Display Screen” describes a technique for a display that uses infra-red light to detect touch, but also to “selectively change a topography of the topography-changing layer.” In other words: to make it bumpy or smooth. Certain wavelengths of light projected on the screen can cause areas of that topography layer expand or contract, which could finally mean all our cries for attention might finally be responded to in kind.

MS applies for patent on ‘light-induced shape-memory,’ a touchscreen that could touch back originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 11:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New rumors are swirling about the iPad 2, and they’re a bit of a grab bag. The source is the same Economic Daily News paper that made one of the early calls on the first iPad, but also the one that reported in August that there was a 7-inch display being sourced for the iPad’s sequel (which Steve Jobs seems to differ with). The new report says that the next iPad will be out in Q1 2011, will have dual cameras, a new display with new touch tech, and a USB port for working with third party devices.

From our own information we know there were actually some last minute revisions on the first iPad that ended up killing the camera and nixing an extra dock connector, so the camera(s) seem a particularly natural “addition” for the iPad 2. We’ve also heard that a revised screen is happening, though it’s unclear if this will be a “Retina Display” or something more minor. On the USB plug front, which could mark a sort of adolescent transition of the iPad into “computer,” our source says it’s, sadly, very unlikely. We’re particularly interested in this mention of a new touchscreen technology from the EDN rumor (perhaps stylus support or pressure sensitivity?) but we don’t have anything else to go on there. Overall, it’s still hard to tell if the next iPad will be a small update or something more splashy, but it’s certainly going to be something.

Next iPad likely to get a new screen, front-facing camera; USB port… not so likely originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Nov 2010 12:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Here in New York at Acer’s Global press event, the company’s talking touch. Lots and lots of touch. It’ll be introducing a veritable smorgasbord of equipment as the minutes roll on, but it’s kicking things off with its Windows 7-based Iconia dual-screen laptop / tablet, a device we’ve seen before. For all intents and purposes, this is Acer’s version of the Toshiba Libretto W105 (or that far-flung ASUS concept we saw at CeBIT 2009), boasting a pair of glossy touchscreens and no hard specifications to speak of. Naturally, you won’t find a keyboard here — rather, a virtual one will emerge from the secondary panel. There’s also a fairly slick media management system that’s obviously gesture based — some real potential there. We’ll be digging for details surrounding a price point and release date, but for now, have a gander at the image above and just imagine how it could revolutionize your life.

In related news, the company also teased its new Clear.fi media sharing system. As the story goes, it’s a cloud-based system that’s designed to play multi-format content over multi-platform devices, enabling any number of gadgets to talk to one another in order to make content visible and shareable with any other device. So far, it looks as if that could apply to movies, games, photos and music, but it’s a single-house affair for now. So long as there’s a router and a WiFi connection nearby, any Clear.fi-enabled device should be able to share, search and consume.

Update: The full PR is now after the break, and we’ve gone hands-on with the device right here! We’ve also scored the specifications — she’s running Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) and is equipped with an Intel Core i5-480M / 560M / 580M CPU, up to 4GB of DDR3 memory, a pair of 14-inch multitouch displays (1366×768 resolution), integrated Intel HD graphics (128MB RAM), VGA / HDMI outputs, an inbuilt microphone and a S/PDIF interface. There’s also a 320/500/640/750GB hard drive, Acer’s CrystalEye webcam (1280×1024 resolution), 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0+HS, integrated 3G WWAN, gigabit Ethernet, a four-cell battery and a total weight of 6.18 pounds. Closing things out, there are a pair of USB 2.0 ports, a single USB 3.0 jack and a one-year warranty.

Continue reading Acer reveals Iconia dual-screen laptop / tablet, Clear.fi cloud-based media sharing system

Acer reveals Iconia dual-screen laptop / tablet, Clear.fi cloud-based media sharing system originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 11:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Those wily shoppers at QVC have beaten the world once again in securing an exclusive on Pandigital’s 9-inch Novel tablet. You’ll recall that we weren’t exactly overwhelmed with joy after handling the 7-inch Novel, and sadly this new slate looks like nothing more than a growth spurt, bringing as it does the same resistive touchscreen, B&N ebook store access, 2GB of integrated storage, and 802.11b/g WiFi highlights. Admittedly, QVC throws in a 4GB microSD card and prices it at an affordable $214, but we’re always wary of Android devices that neglect to state which version of the OS they’re running. Hit up the source link if you’re more courageous — or if you just want to watch the longest infomercial of your life.

Pandigital’s 9-inch Novel now on sale… as a QVC exclusive originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 03:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft’s Lync, the supposed “next generation of unified communications” (a.k.a. the rebranded Office Communicator) just made its official debut this week, and it looks like it’s already racking up some pretty big hardware partners. Among the first is Jabra, which has just rolled out no less than six new headsets that each come paired with their own touchscreen. Those all fall under the Jabra Pro 9400 and Jabra Go 6400 series, which each pack similar base units but come with headsets of varying portability, from a full-size set of headphones to a standard Bluetooth headset that you can also use with your phone. And just for good measure, Jabra has also rolled out its new Jabra SPEAK 410, which is the company’s first USB-powered speakerphone. Of course, they all also come with some decidedly business-minded prices (upwards of $500), but it looks like they’re all available immediately.

Continue reading Jabra debuts six touchscreen-paired headsets designed for Microsoft Lync

Jabra debuts six touchscreen-paired headsets designed for Microsoft Lync originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 12:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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